I've been wondering....

[Comsie]

I've been having a bit of a....well, I don't want to say that it's really a 'problem'...but it's definitely an issue. I wanted to get your opinion on this.

 

Basically, I can't write a well rounded story without some sort of conflict. Otherwise, they get pretty boring, pretty quick. And in some of these stories, that conflict comes in the form of a rival in the love department. Heartache, envy, betrayal, suspicion, self doubt...it makes for a good storyline, in my opinion. The 'issue' is...that I've gotten a lot of emails from people who end up loving the rival MORE than the main love interest. Sometimes MUCH more!

 

I couldn't tell you how many people are waiting for ("New Kid's") Ryan and Randy to break up, or tell me how Derrick ("Class") should dump Tanner and be with Chris instead. Or how "Billy Chase" should stick with Bobby and be hapy with him instead of his boyfriend, Brandon.

 

Is this a 'defect' in the writing? Or is this a good thing? Please feel free to be brutally honest. I mean, the two main characters are SUPPOSED to be the focus of the story. You're SUPPOSED to cheer and jeer and generally WANT them to stay together? Am I right? That's the point of creating this amazing love affair in the first place.

 

But I've gotten that comment from many different places, on many different stories, and I truly appreciate their input, it's awesome. But I was just wondering if you guys thought that this issue was a 'good' thing or a 'bad' thing. Because if my main love interest is too weak a character, then I definitely want to get better at beefing them up and not letting the 'villain' steal the show here. Hehehe! Let me know your thoughts when you get a chance. The more replies the better. I might copy this into the Shack too...

 

Thanks in advance!

[Graeme]

If you go with the theory that the characters are all unique and individuals then everyone has their good and weak points. Some people prefer some portions of a persons personality more than others. The characters in the story get to decide for themselves who they prefer, and while others may disagree, it's not their decision.

 

How many times have you looked at a couple in real life and wondered how they could be together -- they don't seem right for each other?

 

If there's a flaw in your writing (and I'm not saying there is), it maybe that you're not showing enough of why the main character has chosen one over the other. If there are two possible love interests, there has to be a reason why they've picked one. Readers may not agree, but if you haven't shown why the lead character has made his choice, then the reader doesn't have the information to make up their own minds.

[Mikie]

I agree with Graeme.

Readers might identify with different characters more than others, which is why they think the way they do.

 

An example I'll give is that in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, I know someone who thought that Bella should break up with Edward and go with Jacob. I on the other hand felt that Bella and Jacob were meant for each other.

I always seem to be the hopeless romantic that likes the first relationship the best (in most cases).

 

Yeah. I believe it's just who people identify with the most. I understand that in A New Kid In School, and A Class by Himself, that the couples are just hopelessly in love and meant to be together (I hope). To all the haters who think that Derrick should be with Chris, remember that Tanner is the one who Derrick thinks is in "A Class by Himself"

 

So yeah, those are my thoughts.

 

~Mikie

[MrChives]

While I find the emotional "highs" I get from your stories to be incredibly (almost inconceivably) varied, by far the most pervasive and important one (to me) is hope; hope that things will work out, and, generally, not suck for everyone. Maybe this is why I can't even fathom wanting to see Randy and Ryan break up. Maybe I'm also a "hopeless romantic" .But I know its why I come back to these stories.

 

Also, many of these relationships have gone way too far for the main character to ever convince me that 'someone else' could replicate or exceed the love that exists there.

 

As for Chris....he's...kind of a prick. Yeah, I know, the early prickishness was emotional misguidance, and the later prickishness was (probably justified) anger. But I could simply never believe that he was better for Derrick than Tanner. And for one closet gay to blackmail another in any situation is....pure evil. Makes me question whether true love was ever really there.

 

So...that's my wishful thinking on the subject.

[Jaydee]

This reply is coming quite late in the day, but...... whatever...

 

The general trend with your stories is that the reasons for the 'problems' or 'conflicts' or 'breakups' with the main characters is that they are succumbing to human weaknesses and NOT a lack of love for their significant other. The partner that is getting screwed over in the story (eg Brandon in Billy Chase) has every right to be angry and hurt when the shit hits the fan. But, my hopes are that things repair themselves when more information is provided or when the character that does wrong expresses convincing remorse. If that 'true love' stuff wasn't in the mix there wouldn't be enough foundation to rebuild on, the remorse would be faked, and the truth would be that the cheater (eg Billy) could move on with his life after a little time.

 

In reality.. people do move on and don't throw caution into the wind in order to do everything possible to make things right. I suspect that those readers who want Billy to have a meaningful relationship with Bobby are those that find it painful to think about the Cinderella dream world when it is such an impossible thing usually. I look forward to Billy reuniting with Brandon because I sustain myself by looking towards the dream-world ideals of love and perfection. Do I believe in perfect love.... no. Do I want perfect love... yes. The characters become a part of my life to an extent... I won't lie and say they change my life, but I take something away from the ones that are well written pieces of art. Seeing and reading things I aspire to give me something. Seeing and reading things that give me an unsettling feeling take something away from me. Kinda hard to explain the quirks in my brain. I am one of those people that accept that most people have psychological reasons for why they do what they do, and they are accountable for those actions.. but I also think that some bad actions, like cheating, should be surmountable if there is enough substance to the relationships.

 

Would the Comicality stories be just as good if the lovers didn't end up together? Probably... possibly.... but that isn't the point of the stories, is it? Art needn't mimic life and not everyone loves a Picasso equally. Comsie's stories exist to inspire something in us or make us take something away from them.

 

So... it is for you, Comsie, to decide what you want us to take away and not what those that read your story want you to divine for them.

 

(If Billy doesn't end up with Brandon, and if Tanner doesn't end up with Derrick, and if Brody doesn't end up with Zack you are WRONG, and I will find a way to spank you for it!)

[Comsie]

Thank you guys so much for the feedback on this. I didn't really want to change the master plan on all of these things...but if it was more frustrating than enjoyable to read the stories I've written so far, then I'm not above getting help from the 'peanut gallery', you know?

 

I ALWAYS listen. Even when I get stubborn and tell ya that I'm not changing SHIT! ::Giggles:: It always helps to know what people are thinking though. So thank you for the help.